


Yer gonna make me see stars?

by silverryu25



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, My First Fanfic, Or Is It?, Sanscest - Freeform, dorks being dorks, kustard - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-01-23 15:59:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18553045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverryu25/pseuds/silverryu25
Summary: Red was asked on a date and he didn't say no, but he didn't say yes either. He was too scared to say anything and now he has to go through with it. How does he get into messes like these?





	1. Date or dust?!

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written for [LazySintastic13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWriter/pseuds/LazySintastic13)!  
> Go read their amazing stories! And leave some love! (≧◡≦)♥

Yer gonna make me see stars?

 

 _’fuck!’_ He thought for the millionth time that evening. It was the only thing on his mind, he couldn’t let any other thought slip through or he would have panicked and ran. He was currently sitting in his new living room, fidgeting nervously and constantly glancing at the clock. It was a surprisingly normal setting since they came to the surface, even if you’d expect Red to feel more at ease now that his life wasn’t on the line every day… probably.

It didn’t have anything to do with the surface or the room. The room was actually one of the things helping him keep calm and stop him from outright bolting. It was very similar to the house he lived with Edge underground, just warmer and newer. It helped him stay grounded and feel safer. But nothing could help him feel safe while he was waiting for the… date.

That thought felt so foreign and he still didn’t believe it was true. He still thought that it was a joke. A cruel prank. That he will either be stood up or somehow be publicly embarrassed. So he couldn’t stop his nerves as his mind spiralled down into darker and darker scenarios, each making his flight reflex more likely to trigger.

He still didn’t believe that he actually agreed to the date. His soul really did go soft on the surface (he kept lying to himself) to agree on something stupid like that. And with a monster that hated him the moment he saw him. At least that’s what it felt like. The moment the underfell (as they are now known) monsters came out of the underground, _he_ was there. Waiting for them at the top, with his magic flaring in warning, his glare freezing Red in place. Sans. His alternate.

He felt the magic as their barrier broke and the universes collide. And the moment he did, he ported to the place they came out of. Same place their softer alternates came to a few years back. Red was shocked. The multiverse theory was right but… he didn’t think there would be so many differences.

Sans was… big. At least compared Red. Almost twice his size. Red figured it was the abundance of food Sans had after he was left alone to raise his brother, unlike Red. But what made him so shocked wasn’t Sans’ size. It was the glare directed at him. Boring into his soul like he could see all his sins. Which was very likely since Sans was a Judge, just like Red.

Every day that followed on the surface was full of Sans making Red feel insignificant and judged. The bigger skeleton kept looking at Red like he was an insult to existence. He could feel Sans’ eyelights piercing his back, making his skin crawl (if he had any, heh). But then one day, out of nowhere, Sans came up to him and asked him on a date. Red could only gape, unable to process the question. Which didn’t bother Sans one bit. He took it in stride and concluded it a yes, telling Red to be ready today at 8 PM.

Red could only stare at the spot Sans ported out of when he said that, and then his mind started spiralling down. 

_'i can run...'_ he thought again. But that wasn’t true. Sans could find him, there was no way to hide from a Judge, not for long. And if Sans had plans for Red, he wouldn’t be able to stop him. He wasn’t powerful enough, as much as he hated to admit that even in his own head.

Just as he was spiralling down another dark scenario, there was a loud confident knock on the door that made Red jump. _'fuck!’_ he thought again as he got up, nervously going to the door. He hesitated for a second, trying to think of a way out, but his mind was a mess and he could think of nothing. So he opened the door.

What he saw made his jaw drop. Sans. But a Sans he never saw before. He was wearing casual clothes that fit his frame perfectly. A pair of jeans, showing off just how thick his bones were. A snug white turtleneck that made his usual chubby appearance look like a lie; the chub still there but it transformed into something looking very solid. And a new blue hoodie that hid nothing of his upper strength. All Red could do is feel underdressed.

He was still in his usual clothes. Though Edge made him change into a clean pair of shorts and the cleanest red shirt he had. He looked and felt like a hobo in front of Sans. He knew this will be a disaster. Nothing he did was ever right. And now he was in front of his alternate, going on a date, feeling like he was going to a trial. He started sweating, on the verge of shaking. 

“h-hi.” His voice cracked on the greeting, unable to stop it. He cleared his throat and tried again, hoping Sans didn’t notice. “hi sans… yer here.” He finished lamely, sounding almost shocked. He was sure Sans wouldn’t come. Or maybe he was hoping for it. That would be the least painful option.

“heh, yeah. i am.” Sans cleverly replied sounding… uncertain? No. It must have been Red’s imagination. Right? Sans was never uncertain. He didn’t speak much, not around Red. And when he did, it was usually a joke at Red’s expense. He never sounded uncertain, confidence leaked out of his every word and movement.

“you ready?” Sans asked quietly as one of his hands went to the back of his head, scratching it almost shyly. 

Red stared. His mind stopping completely. Is he awake? Did he pass out waiting and his mind is playing tricks on him? This wasn’t the usual Sans. This wasn’t what he thought would happen. Sans wasn’t supposed to look… cute? Red’s thoughts froze at that thought, eyelights shrinking, almost disappearing. Sans frowned at that reaction, making Red snap out of it a bit.

“y-yeah…” was all he was able to say as he looked down. What was he doing! He couldn’t show weakness in front of anyone, especially not to this monster! “‘m ready.” He added (lamely) as he exited the house and locked it. Taking a deep breath, he turned towards Sans.

Sans perked up, making Red flinch a bit, and smiled as he offered his hand. Red looked at it uncertainly, not sure if he should take it. But he had no choice, he reminded himself. Sans was the one in charge here. So he reached out and took the hand, hoping for the best while expecting the worst. 

“where ‘re we goin’?” he dared to ask, looking up at Sans. Sans towered over him, or at least that’s how Red saw it. He looked massive this close. Red usually kept his distance, ready to bolt, so he didn’t notice just how big Sans was compared to him. He tried so hard not to start shaking while holding the bigger hand, Sans would feel it. 

“you’ll see.” Was all Sans said, as he held Red’s hand tighter and added “hold tight!” porting them and taking Red’s breath away.

Being ported by another was disorienting, especially with how tense Red already was. So when they came out of the port, all Red could do is bend over and wheeze, his breath coming in short gasps. He could feel tears gather in the edges of his sockets as he fought for breath. Until he felt a large hand on his back, making it hitch.

“sorry sweetheart. should have warned you first.” Sans was rubbing his back gently, leaning over Red. Red, not noticing what Sans called him, managed to get his breath back enough to look up, expecting Sans to be sneering at his weakness. Instead, Sans was looking at him with a gentle expression Red couldn’t ever imagine on the usually hostile face. Red blinked, trying to process what was going on, as Sans slowly straightened and offered his hand again.

“you okay?” Sans asked, his tone calm. He tilted his head giving Red his usual smile. But this one seemed more genuine. Red’s mind was still catching up with the situation as he accepted the offered hand, letting Sans pull him along.

 _’w-was i… wrong?’_ His mind raced. _’is he not gonna hurt me?’_

Red was lost in his thoughts as he walked a little behind Sans, the bigger skeleton monster pulling him towards their goal. Red suddenly remembered he didn’t know where they were going so he quickly looked around, noticing they weren’t in the city, or at least not in the populated and urban area. There weren’t a lot of lights either, and he started worrying again. Was Sans taking him to another area? Did he plan to dump him somewhere?

Just as his mind supplied him with more dark scenarios, he noticed that he wasn’t having trouble walking. Sans was slowing his pace to accommodate Red’s smaller gait. He could see Sans was struggling a bit, keeping his steps shorter and slower, but it looked like he wasn’t doing it on purpose. Like it was natural…

“we’re almost there.” Sans suddenly broke the silence and Red quickly raised his head. They were going up a hill, no lights around except for a flashlight Sans must have pulled out while Red was lost in thought.

“where?” Red couldn’t help but ask, though he quickly clicked his teeth together so his dumb mouth wouldn’t anger the bigger monster. Instead Sans just chuckled. Red’s eye sockets widened, not expecting that reaction.

“you’ll see. we’ll be there in a minute.” Sans said while smiling back towards Red, giving him a sly wink. Red could only stare, confused at the secrecy. What did the other plan? He started worrying again, his bones trembling a little, thankfully not enough for Sans to notice.

They continued climbing for a while. As they got to the top, Red was too preoccupied with his thoughts to immediately notice his surroundings. Sans stopping finally snapped him out of it and he quickly looked around, just as Sans turned off the flashlight. His first instinct was to panic, quickly pulling his hand out of Sans’, stumbling back and tripping on something he couldn’t see. Now he started trembling, looking around in a panic, unsure where he could run. Forgetting for a moment he could teleport.

Sans was by his side in a moment, making Red flinch back and raise his hands protectively in front of himself. 

“p-please no.” Red whispered, barely managing to get his voice out. His trembling intensified as he waited for Sans to grab him.

But nothing happened. Sans didn’t come closer. As moments passed, Red calmed down enough to notice Sans wasn’t hovering over him. He peeked through his arms at Sans, ready to bolt this time if Sans was still close. He wasn’t. Sans was sitting a little back, his hands relaxed on his knees, shoulders slumped. Looking as unthreatening as he could make himself.

Red slowly lowered his hands not believing what he saw, almost thinking his eyelights were playing tricks on him due to the dark. But no, Sans was sitting back looking almost defeated. What was going on? Was Sans… crying? No, he just looked like he might. Now Red was even more lost, so he did the only thing he could think of.

“wha’s wrong with ya?” He asked, confused. His body and voice still trembling a little.

“nothing.” Sans said in a dejected voice that made Red flinch. “was expectin’ this. i knew you didn’t wanna come, that i was just jumping to conclusions. why would you? not like i have anythin’ to offer.”

Red stared, not understanding one word coming out of Sans’ mouth. Thankfully his own mouth was faster than his brain as it cleverly supplied “wha’?!”

“i knew you didn’t really say yes when i asked,” Sans continued, not looking up or noticing how confused Red was. “but i was hoping that i could make this date good enough for you. that you’d have fun and want to go out with me again.” He sighed heavily. “heh, stupid right?”

Red stayed quiet, confusion made his trembling stop. His red eyelights just stared at Sans, not making a sound. The silence stretched.

Sans couldn’t take it, so he looked up as he said “sorry for dragging you out here, i can take you home if you want?” Then he noticed Red’s expression and tilted his head asking “you okay?”

“ya mean this was a real date?” Red blurted out as he snapped out of his shock.

“huh? yeah.” Sans frowned. “why? you thought it wasn’t?” He looked as confused as Red felt, his eyelights focused on Red with that stare, the one that made him feel like Sans was digging around his soul.

“but ya took me here to get rid ‘a me, right? and yer lookin’ at me like tha’ ‘gain.” He slapped a hand over his mouth to stop any more stupidity from spilling out.

“what?! no! of course not!!” Sans yelled, making Red jump. The bigger skeleton noticed and quickly lowered his tone. “this is a real date. and i have no idea what you mean by looking at you like that. like what?” He frowned when he finished.

“like yer judgin’ me…” Red lowered his hand and quietly explained, his tone unsure. Did he get it all wrong?

“judging? no red. i’m...” Sans suddenly blushed and looked away, a hand snapping to the back of his head, rubbing it like he was embarrassed. “i didn’t mean to scare you. i just can’t get enough of you…” He finished, his blush brightening.

Red blinked as his brain tried to process the words. Then his skull lit up with a blush of his own. His eyelights widening. “ya mean all this time ya weren’t glarin’ at me? Ya were checkin’ me out?!”

“glaring?” Sans looked almost offended, though the blush softened the effect considerably. “no, i wasn’t glaring. i wasn’t checking you out… ugh! i didn’t think you noticed me looking.” He finished, sounding almost like a kicked puppy.

“but…” Red couldn’t look away as he questioned Sans’ and his own sanity. “ya were always joking at me, looking like i was an offense to yer presence. i thought ya hated me fer coming up to the same surface. tha’s why i took the name ya suggested. thought ‘twas was yer way of putting me in my place! cause red is the worst colour a monster can have.” Red was tearing up at this point. All his jumbled thoughts spilling out at once. “was ‘fraid ya’d dust me if i didn’!” He couldn’t hold back the flood of tears that started to fall.

Sans only stared, mouth gaping open. But when Red started crying, he quickly crawled closer, trying to wipe the tears away, only to have Red flinch back and look at Sans with wide frightened eyelights. But that didn’t last when Red noticed how hurt Sans looked by his reaction. So he didn’t move as Sans slowly put a hand on his cheek and wiped his tears.

“shhh, red.” Sans’ tone was so gentle, it made Red stare in awe. He didn’t think Sans’ big frame would make such a calming tone possible. “i didn’t joke at you, i joked with you. but you make my skull spin, so i don’t really think that well ’round you. and your name…” Sans looked reluctant to say the next part, but he swallowed down his uncertainty and said “i fell in love with your magic the moment i saw you on that first day. that’s why i suggested the name. red is the most striking thing about you. i thought you’d like it.”

Red was still crying, but now he wasn’t sure why. Fear? Confusion? Relief? Whichever it was, Sans’ caresses and calm tone were making his tears slow down.

“ya-a, m-mean tha’?” He managed to hiccup out, looking hopeful.

“i do.” Sans smiled gently at him, eyelights soft. “the moment i saw you my skull went blank. and all i could do is make a fool outta myself. i was sure you wouldn’t ever like someone like me. and then i saw you flirting with grilbz, so i panicked and asked you out. hoped i could make you fall for me with a perfect date.” He lowered his hand from Red’s cheek, looking to the side and sighed sadly. “so much for that, ha?”

Red followed Sans’ gaze and saw a picnic blanket and basket next to a telescope. He looked up and noticed the sky was full of stars, a lot more than usual. They were far enough from the city centre that almost no light pollution was here to hide them. He stared, a little awestruck.

“ya brought me ‘ere ta stargaze?” His tone disbelieving. 

“yeah.” Sans’ answer was so quick, all Red could do was laugh, all the tension leaving his body. Sans just stared at him in confusion, surprised by the sudden shift in mood.

“i thought ya would make me see stars, but not like this!” Red gasped out through the laughing fit. He really did have it all wrong. But it wasn’t all his fault. Sans never showed he liked him. Yet now that he thought about it, Sans never really showed aggression either. He never did anything threatening. Red was just scared from the moment he first saw him. “i feel like a real fool right now.”

“i’m the fool here.” Sans huffed out. “should have noticed how scared you were. i just thought you didn’t like me.” He finished while fidgeting in place, looking almost like a teenager that failed the easiest test in school. He looked… cute.

 _’cute, huh?’_ The thought echoed in Red’s mind, making him blush softly again. He looked away from Sans, trying to hide the reaction.

“red?” Sans asked, his tone a little hopeful, making Red’s attempt at hiding utterly useless. So Red looked back at him. “do you wanna go on a date with me?”

“huh?” All Red could do was wonder what was happening now. “aren’t we on a date now?” He frowned, trying to figure out what he missed.

“heh, yeah. but you didn’t really agree last time so i wanna ask again.” Sans’ smile turned goofy. He knew how silly he sounded, but he had to make it right. So he offered Red his hand and asked “will you please go out on a date with me? give me a chance to make you like me?”

Red looked at the hand, looked up at Sans’ face, looked at the picnic spot, then looked back at Sans. He didn’t know what to do, but at seeing how hopeful Sans was, any resistance broke. So he smiled and, a little reluctantly, took Sans’ hand. “yea. i’ll go on a date with ya.”

Sans beamed so bright, Red could swear the sun was coming up. He pulled Red up and into his hands, the sudden hug making the smaller tense up. Sans noticed and quickly pulled back.

“sorry, sorry! got a little carried away.” He kept a grip on Red as he held him at arm's length. “i was just too happy!” 

Red swore if Sans’ grin was any wider, it would split his skull. And it was infectious as Red felt his own smile widen. “‘ts okay. just slow down.” He half mumbled, sounding shy and feeling embarrassed for it. “But yer gonna ‘ave ta work fer it!” He added defiantly.

Sans only smiled more and stated in a confident tone “course sweetheart. anything for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The formula behind this fic: Red is too scared to talk + Sans is too smitten to think = dorks XD  
> The story came from a prompt of "kustard and first date" and went from me trying to write my first drabble into writing my first 3k story... wild X'D
> 
> Just a little more info since Red is such an unreliable narator XD  
> The reason why Red thought Sans was glaring at him was because he only looked at Sans' face when he felt the other staring at him. Usually he tried to avoid eye contact because he was afraid Sans would take it as a threat, or just see all his sins since the eyes are the window to the soul :3  
> That means Red only caught Sans "glaring" at him, or just staring at him intently, without Sans noticing. But what Red didn't know is that the glaring was actually Sans being sad/mad that Red was so relaxed around others, but never around him. And the staring was Sans checking Red out (even if he's trying to deny it XD) but he was focusing so hard it looked like his "judge mode" look, though honestly it was more Red projecting this feeling due to him being scared than Sans looking scary :P
> 
> Possible chapter 2 if people like these two dorks ^_^


	2. New tricks?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can old dogs learn new tricks? No? Maybe? Probably. But it definitely takes more than one try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~
> 
> This chapter was based on a prompt by [JellyFicsnFucks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JellyFicsnFucks/pseuds/JellyFicsnFucks)! They are an incredible writer! Go read their stories and show them some love X3

_’just calm down.’_ He breathed out, trying to collect his mind. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, not really liking what he saw. There were bags under his eye sockets, again. His bones looked a little unkempt, even though he just showered. He bent down and splashed some water on his skull, hoping it will help him cool down.

But it didn’t help much. Looking back up at his reflection all he could see was a tired bag of bones.

He thought that leaving the underground and finally being rid of the resets would end his misery and problems, and it did, for a time. Then that changed. There was a new anomaly. And just as fear and anger spiked in his soul, he already ported to the place of its origin. What he found there turned his world upside down and drove him down a road paved with a completely different set of problems.

He met _him_ there. Red. And the moment his eyelights settled on the smaller skeleton Sans’ soul grew tight. At first, he thought it was his Judge instincts warning him that he should be wary of this monster. He checked the scarred monster, covertly. The first shock was finding his own name staring at him from the check. The other was realising that this Sans was no threat. Red, unlike the rest of the monsters who emerged from the harsher underground, didn’t even possess any LV. That doesn’t mean he didn’t kill, as Sans found out from Edge later. Red was a Judge, like Sans, and he used the Judges abilities to end his enemies. Which means that karma took them, leaving no EXP for Red. Red didn’t try to earn EXP on purpose.

Sans relaxed as soon as he finished the check, but at that point, Red wasn’t looking at him anymore. And that stuck. Red kept avoiding him, even as Sans’ feelings kept getting stronger each time he saw the tiny skeleton. As he had never been in love before, it took him a while to understand what the feelings were, but knowing brought no relief. He couldn’t do anything when Red didn’t even want to look at him and barely talked to him. Even Sans’ jokes just went over the smaller skeleton’s head (heh).

The worst thing was that Red showed a completely different side in front of other monsters. He joked, laughed and played pranks. He talked a lot with his own Grillby, know as Fellby now, and shared a good friendship with the flame monster. He even got close to Sans’ Grillby, becoming good friends in no time. At some point, Sans noticed that seeing Red talk and laugh with Grillby was making him jealous. He felt himself glaring at the two monsters happily sharing words. He quickly pushed those feelings down. Red wasn’t his, he was his own monster, and Sans had no right to keep him away from others. But it hurt that Sans was the only one Red kept at a distance. Who he actively avoided.

All of that changed when Sans’ patience, his main soul-trait, finally ran out and he asked Red out. He was so nervous! Couldn’t even think straight. He was sure Red would turn him down on the spot. That Red hated him. Sans hoped he would at least get a reason why he was turned down. But Red hesitated and Sans panicked, blurting out that it was a date, and running before Red could even speak. He still cringed at his behaviour, acting like a hopeless impatient teenager. 

Sans was sure Red would stand him up. That he wouldn’t be home when Sans came to pick him up. Or that he would find an angry Edge glaring daggers at his brother's foolish would-be-date. His soul was pounding in his chest, hard enough to drown out the sound of his knocking on the door. Every second after that was torture on his already beaten soul. He was so close to giving up, just turning around and leaving while he still had some dignity left. But he never got the chance as the door opened.

He found Red there! Standing shyly and looking really cute, even in his usual clothes. Sans was so happy in that short moment! Thinking Red was actually ok with the date! But the moment quickly passed as Sans noticed Red still didn’t want to look him in the eyelights. His soul dropped. Again.

He kept messing everything up from that moment on. Porting Red without warning, making the smaller walk so far to the picnic spot. Red was probably having a hard time keeping pace with Sans’ longer gait, but he didn't even think of it until they were at the top of the hill. Yet he still had a little hope left, that he could get Red to like him. Sans was hoping for that with all his soul. Until that hope shattered when Red jumped out of his skin (heh) the moment Sans turned that blasted flashlight off.

The way Red looked, the way he fell and flinched into a protective pose when Sans tried to help him up, made everything clear. Red hated him. Even worse, Red was afraid of him. And it was all Sans’ fault. He should have been more patient. Tried to make Red laugh more, wait for Red’s answer, go at a slower pace. Now he was stuck with the painful truth that Red didn’t want him close. That the smaller just wanted to get away. Sans hadn’t cried since the… bad runs stopped, but he was so close to crying at that moment, it was a miracle it didn’t happen. And that miracle was Red.

He couldn’t believe what Red thought about his intentions. He would never hurt Red! He’d hurt anyone who would even think of hurting the smaller monster. But he’d rather die than hurt Red. When they started talking his soul went through so many emotions, he couldn’t properly remember them all. Horror, pain, hopefulness, sadness, happiness, protectiveness, joy, shame, love. It was a tormenting and confusing ride, but completely worth it. He had Red’s answer and a date. A real date!

The first date ended well (he hoped), and he took Red home and wished him a good night. Red looked him in the eyelights as they stood at the door, a soft blush on his cheeks. Sans was still squealing internally over the memory.

After the first date, Sans was determined to make everything up to Red, and to win him over properly, patiently. So he invited him on another date. And then came another. And another. And another. Yet no progress. They didn’t get further than hanging out. Sans wasn’t even sure if they were dating or just hanging out as friends. But he was afraid of asking and scaring Red off. Scared of touching him before the smaller was ready, or willing. He couldn’t risk losing Red now, not after he finally got the scarred skeleton to open up.

Sans was getting desperate. This was their 10th date. He wanted to be closer to Red from the bottom of his soul, but first, he had to know what Red wanted. Yet he was so afraid to ask. Like always. Like before. The resets made it hard for him to talk about his own problems and worries. He didn’t want to burden others, so he kept it all inside. So. like always, he observed and waited.

Red seemed to be enjoying their dates. They ate, drank their condiments, joked and punned. Red even laughed at Sans’ jokes and joked back. Sans loved the smaller’s laughter. But Red never asked for a date first, never asked Sans to come to his house, didn't talk much about himself. He didn’t flinch or try to avoid Sans’ closeness like that first night, but he never got close himself.

Sans was getting desperate to have Red closer. The time spent with the smaller made his soul swell with happiness. He wanted to hug the smaller into his side as they sat and watched a bad movie together. To nuzzle into Red's neck and enjoy his scent. To kiss that enticing sharp-toothed smile. To make the smaller blush, like on that first night. But he was running blind, not knowing what to do, he even tried to borrow Papyrus’ dating book, but it didn’t seem to work. He never felt like this, and he had no previous experience on how to act. A teenager at least had an excuse! What did Sans have? What could he even offer to the smaller more experienced, if Fellby was to be believed, monster?

It didn’t help that, for an unclear reason, Red was incredibly hard for Sans to read. He wasn’t sure if Red was happy, or if it was Sans hoping for that and projecting it on Red. This was the first time he ever had difficulty figuring someone out like this. Usually, he could know a monster’s or human’s intentions and mood the moment he saw them. But not with Red. After that first look into Red’s soul, Sans couldn’t read anything about the small monster. All he could do is guess, and hope he didn’t see what he wanted, but what was really there. It was slowly driving him crazy! Making his fear spike and anxiety flare. Which kept him up at night. Trying to figure out what Red thought, what he felt, how Sans could make the smaller happy, how he could show him how much he loved him.

 _’don’t screw it up this time.’_ He glared at his own reflection. _’patient. pe patient.’_ He couldn’t let his patience break again, no matter how anxious, desperate or sleep deprived he was. The last time it happened he almost lost Red, making the smaller think he was going to harm him. He will never allow that to happen again. He will keep it slow and he will make sure Red feels safe, stars dammit!

Staring daggers at his reflection he took a few breaths, focusing on calming down until it was time. Red would be here soon. In Sans’ house. The moment he remembered that his chest filled with a mix of anxiety and joy. His soul started pounding again.

Papyrus was out on a training session with Undyne and Edge, though it was more like a camping trip. Sans was happy his brother finally got some time out of school to hang out with his friends. And he was even happier that it left him with an empty house, ready for a date. He prepared food for them, Grillby’s of course, rented a few bad sci-fi movies they could trash talk and joke about, prepared extra pillows and blankets on the couch. Even got extra mustard, just in case. He had a feeling that he was forgetting something but just couldn’t figure out what.

As he ran over the list in his head one more time the doorbell rang. Its happy tune (Papyrus’ choice), made Sans jump, eyelights flying to the bathroom door. He quickly went to open the door, only to stumble in his haste out of the bathroom and fall face first onto the, thankfully very soft, carpet. He was grateful no one saw that, especially not Red. He needed to impress the smaller one, not make him break a rib from laughing.

Quickly getting up, he dusted himself off and jogged to the door. He put his hand on the doorknob, breathed in deeply to calm down, and opened the door with his usual relaxed smile. The moment the door opened Red looked up at him, his toothy grin relaxed as he started to say a greeting, only to freeze and burst out in laughter. 

“am i leaving such a hard _impression_ on ya?” Red managed to ask between laughing fits. 

“heh… what?” dumbfounded Sans asked, as he stared at the happy tiny skeleton. His usual grin strained and unsure. Should he join in? Or play offended?

“yer face!” Red so artfully elaborated, but when Sans only looked more confused he quickly added “ya have carpet burn on yer face.”

“carpet burn?” Sans raised a hand to his face on auto-pilot and then realized his little fall wasn’t destined to remain a secret. He blushed, hard. Then started chuckling, joining Red’s infectious mirth. “naw, red. i’m just really _impressed_ i got you on a tenth date. must be my _rug_ ged looks?” He grinned with a playful wink.

This made Red flinch and mutter “yea, yea. ye'r a real dust _rug_ to look at. now lemme in. ‘m freezin.” He huffed, pushing pass Sans to get into the warm house.

Sans’ mood dropped a little at that flinch. Did he upset Red? But it didn't last long as Red used that bad excuse to push inside. They were skeletons, and the cold went right through them. Sans was just happy to have the smaller one in his home. 

Guiding the grumpy monster to the couch he asked “wanna eat first? or do you wanna watch one movie and then eat? or we could have some drinks? or maybe-”

“slow down! ye’r makin my head spin.” Red quickly intervened, probably noticing Sans was babbling. “let’s just eat first. ‘m hungry. didn’t ‘ave time ta eat.” Red finished, looking away. Sans felt himself flush in embarrassment. He can’t let Red see just how big of a mess he was. It would only drive the smaller away. 

“yeah. let’s eat first.” He managed to say and quickly went to get the food from the kitchen. Stopping for a few moments, he took deep breaths to calm down. He grabbed the burgers and fries, then remembered to take each of their condiments, balancing it all in his arms. Walking back into the living room, his lazy smile back in place, he came over to Red handing him the burger and then the fries, but as he wanted to pass the mustard it suddenly slipped out of his fingers. Sans watched it fall, stunned. It was almost elegant, how it spun as it fell and landed right under his foot. He couldn’t stop the momentum and… he stepped on it. What followed, he would later remember as hilarious, but right at that moment, it was like a scene from a horror movie.

Mustard was everywhere. The floor. The couch. The wall. And… Red. His shirt was stained. His jacket was covered. He even got a face-full of the spicy condiment. They stared at each other for a few moments, taking a bit to process what happened. Then they both burst out laughing.

“ya _mustard_ really hated my look!” Red laughed out, bending over in his laughter.

“naw,” Sans choked out “i’m just trying to help you _ketchup_ to the new trends. yellow is in this season.” Sans chuckled as he watched Red wheeze at his pun. Stars, he loved that skeleton. Mess or no. Red was just too cute when he laughed like this, even if some would describe it as sounding rough and sarcastic. To Sans, it was the most beautiful sound he could hear.

“big bone, ya with me?” Red’s voice startled him out of his thoughts, he was staring. “i know i like spicy stuff, but usually in me, not on me. ya got some clothes i can borrow?” He added pulling on his stained shirt and wiping the mustard off his face with his jacket sleeve. “maybe even a shower? yellow don’t _condiment_ my complexion tha’ well.”

“uh! yeah, sorry.” Sans quickly put the rest of the food down and took Red up to the bathroom. “the towels are under the sink, leave the clothes on the floor and i’ll wash them while we watch the movies. _oil_ get you something _gravy_ to wear.”

“heh, don’t _curry_.” And with that final pun, Red left Sans standing in front of the bathroom door. Sans stared in awe at how perfect that little bundle of bones was, awkwardly thinking of what a fool he must look like compared to Red.

When he heard the water running he quickly went to his room to find Red some clothes. Papyrus’ clothes weren’t an option, he was too tall and thin to have anything that would remotely fit Red. Not that Sans’ clothes were a lot better since he was almost double Red’s height and width. But he couldn’t do much about that now. So he went to find something clean. Rummaging around his closet, until he pulled out a shirt that was maybe a little too small for himself. Papyrus got it for him on Giftmas because it had a pun on it. It was a black shirt with the text “Let’s _avocuddle_ ”, the O was a picture of an avocado. Perfect. Sans thought he felt his eyelights turn to hearts for a moment, as he imagined Red wearing it. He quickly brought the clothes to the bathroom door, before his thoughts could get stuck in the gutter.

Knocking on the door he said “red? i don’t have any pants that will fit you, but i got a really big shirt that should be enough.” He hopped his voice didn’t sound too excited. “i’ll wait for you downstairs.”

Sans quickly cleaned up the floor and the couch as best as he could. Only a few stains remained but it was probably enough to not get Papy mad, right? Lazily giving up, too tired and anxious about disappointing Red to try harder, he sat down and waited for the smaller to finish. He got lost in his thoughts while waiting. Would Red be mad at Sans if the mustard stains don’t wash out of his jacket? He always wore that jacket, on every date they had. Would Sans be able to clean it? What if he can’t? Would Red not want to go on any more dates with him? As his thoughts kept spiralling down, he put his head in his hands and sighed heavily. He blew it again didn’t he?

A creak made him jump up, drawing his shrunken eyelights to the stairs. What he saw there made those same eyelights turn into hearts. Red. Wearing only Sans’ shirt. Standing almost shyly, self-consciously, grabbing the bottom of the shirt in both hands. And… was that a blush?

“d-did ya really not ‘ave anythin’ fer pants?” Red asked, pulling Sans out of his trance. Sans blinked once, trying to chase away the weird feeling in his sockets. He quickly jumped up and went to the bottom of the stairs.

“sorry red, that’s the best i could find. you could wear my shorts as a poncho.” He said and shrugged, a wide smile on his skull. “the shirt is practically a dress on you. and you look really good in it.”

That definitely made Red blush, and Sans couldn’t take his eyes off of him. Stars that was a beautiful colour.

“stop _pullin’ my bone_ , ya big lug.” Red said as he came down the stairs, hiding his face, and passed Sans to sit on the couch. “let’s eat. ya owe me dinner after that show.”

Sans just stared after Red, but that last joke made him snort. “anything for you, red.” He couldn’t help the chuckle as he started climbing. “just let me get your clothes in the wash.”

He got Red’s clothes from the bathroom and hurried to put them in the washer. When that was done he went back to the living room and noticed Red in the corner of the couch, bundled up completely in one of the blankets Sans prepared. A little disappointed that all he could see was Red’s head, Sans went to gather their dinner again.

They ate quietly, exchanging occasional puns about Sans’ condiment mishap. Seeing the smaller cuddled up in the blanket made Sans’ soul beat faster and turn warm. He wanted to join him under that blanket so much. But even just being this close made his worries fade away.

When they finished, Sans went to set up the movie. They picked the one with the worst reviews first, both wanting a good laugh. Before sitting down Sans went to get them some popcorn but… as he got into the kitchen he remembered what he forgot. Popcorn. He was really doing everything wrong today! Defeated he took some more condiments and went back to the living room. He handed Red his mustard and sat down on the other end of the couch, slumping, his mood obviously darker than before.

“sorry, no popcorn.” Sans managed to mumble out. Barely audible.

Red looked at him with a raised eyebrow but didn’t comment the mood drop. “‘ts fine. let’s just watch the movie, ‘kay?”

The movie was… perfectly horrible. There were unlimited chances to make jokes and to rant about the bad science behind the plot. Red burst out laughing so many times, he almost choked on his mustard more than once. Sans even had to pat his back at one point. Seeing Red having that much fun was adorable but… Sans just couldn’t get into it. Sure he laughed, even told a joke or two, but he didn’t feel happy enough to enjoy it like Red. The movie was almost done, Sans already thinking which to watch next. It didn’t really matter, right? He messed up anyway.

“big bone, what’ up?” Red’s sudden question caught Sans unprepared. He looked at Red with wide sockets, trying to think up an answer.

“n-nothing is wrong.” He elegantly answered. “what would be wrong? i mean besides the movie? that’s wrong on all possible levels, heh.” Way to go Sans. You really saved it there. Ugh.

Red just deadpanned at him, not saying a word. Boring his eyelights into Sans’ skull. Sans took it valiantly! Enduring hard! For almost a minute. Then he cracked like an egg.

“i just-” He chocked out but stopped himself, going quiet. His shoulders stiffened as he folded into himself.

Sighing quietly Red put a hand on Sans’ shoulder and in a quiet voice said “come on. yer my _bonefriend_ , right? ya can talk ta me.”

This got a chuckle out of Sans but it didn’t last. That word, _bonefriend_. Did Red mean it as a boyfriend or a bone shaped friend? He was probably overthinking it but… he just couldn’t keep it in anymore. His patience breaking, he blurted out “am i?”

Red stared. Looking surprised and... confused? “are ya wha’?” He asked, his voice uncertain.

“am i your friend? or are we more than that?” Sans asked, barely a whisper. But Red heard him, the house quiet, almost like it also waited for Red’s answer.

“wha’ d’ya mean?” Red pulled his hand back, unsure what was happening.

Sans quickly turned his head away from Red, he couldn’t look at him right now. Seeing rejection on Red’s face would hurt too much. Taking a deep breath he let it all out. 

“i don’t know what we are. friends? more than that?” His voice wavered a little. “this is our tenth date and i’m still lost. i know the first date was a disaster, and i can’t tell if i’m even doing anything right. look at today! i messed it all up again.”

“wha’? sans no! you didn’t mess it up!” Red burst out. He sounded shocked, or was it mad? It was hard to tell with Sans not looking at him. “‘m having a ton a’ fun. we’ve been jokin’ the whole night. why would ya think that you messed up?”

“but! we still haven’t even held hands!” Sans desperately choked out, but was determined not to cry in front of Red. He wouldn’t embarrass himself further. “you were scared of me, and i’m scared that it will happen again. i just wanna hold you close, but you don’t wanna be near me.” His voice went quieter with every word. “like now. you’re still sitting as far away as you can.”

There was only silence following that. Sans tensed up prepared for the worst and when it came he wasn’t surprised.

“turn ‘round, big bone.” Red said in a tone that allowed no discussion. And Sans did, his head tilted down so he couldn’t see Red’s face.

Suddenly there were two tiny hands on his cheeks, and before he could get his wits around what was happening, his head was raised and a boney mouth was on his own. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and his brain stopped in its tracks. Thankfully his body knew what to do and he quickly returned the kiss. His arms went around the smaller monster’s back bringing him closer as he deepened the kiss, enjoying the feeling of their magic dancing around each other. It was bliss. They fit together perfectly.

Red was the one to finally break the kiss, breathing hard and looking straight at Sans. Were those? Stars damn him, they were! Red’s sockets held two hearts. Sans just stared, his mouth open, looking like a fish out of water.

“yer a fool.” Red plainly stated, making Sans wince. “but yer my fool.” Hope blossomed in Sans’ soul at those words. Did Red mean? “and ‘m yours. but ya gotta talk ta me about stuff like tha’. i can’t read yer mind ya _bonehead_. not talkin’ will just lead to the same thin’ as our first date.”

“heh, you’re right.” Sans relaxed leaning down towards Red, touching their foreheads together. “how did i ever deserve you?”

“ya didn’.” Red’s tone did not help Sans relax, but he quickly added “but neither do i deserve ya. all we can do is work on it. and talk, instead of hidin’, ‘kay?”

“‘kay.” Sans happily agreed, his soul finally calming down. “now what do you say we listen to your shirt and _avocuddle_ while watching the next movie?”

Red’s face lit up so fast Sans thought he’d get whiplash. Instead, Red just hid head in his hands and groaned. “yer gonna milk this, ain’t ya?”

“aw red, i gotta. you know milk is good for the bones.” Sans replied, giving Red a wink as he pulled him in his lap. He rearranged the blanket around them both, and put an arm around Red, cuddling him close. “and you know me, sweetheart. i’m all about the bones.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was based on a prompt by JellyFicsnFucks which went "make them smooch" XD
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this tiny fluffy story about two dorks that really need to open up and share their feelings ;)
> 
> For those wondering about why Red didn't try and get closer to Sans, it's because he's as much of an inexperienced mess as Sans is. Fellby told Sans Red had some previous dating experience, but he lied so Sans wouldn't take advantage of Red. It came from a good place but caused even more problems XD  
> Also Red isn't that good at showing his feelings, his underground was too dangerous for that, so he didn't really give Sans obvious enough hints what he wanted. And he was scared too. He wasn't sure if Sans really wanted him? The big lug called him on a date but never even tried to hug him? Red thought Sans was having second thoughts? Maybe he didn't really wanna see Red's scared bones? How was Red to know? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> So the part about them needing to talk more was meant for them both :3


End file.
